Grammar Info
N4 Lesson 6: 5/16

と言(い)ってもいい
you could say, you might say

Structure
Verb + いってもいい
[い]Adjective + いってもいい
[な]Adjective + () + いってもいい
Noun + () + いってもいい
Details
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使用域 一般
Information
と言(い)ってもいい is a common expression in Japanese which literally means ‘even if you say (A), it is good/ok’. This is translated more naturally as ‘you could say (A)’, or ‘you might say (A)’.
As the at the beginning of the phrase is the ‘quotation’ use of the particle, と言(い)ってもいい may be used after almost any statement that the speaker wants to quote.
  • あの人(ひと)一日(いちにち)7食(しょく)食(た)べているから、一日中(いちにちじゅう)食(た)べていると言(い)ってもいい
    That person eats 7 meals a day, so you could say that he is eating all day.
  • そのスポーツ危(あぶ)なと言(い)ってもいい
    You could say that sport is dangerous.
  • あの人(ひと)仕事(しごと)やり方(かた)丁寧(ていねい)と言(い)ってもいい
    You could say that how that person works is careful.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)すご優(やさ)し人(ひと)と言(い)ってもいいでしょう
    It is safe to say that she is a very nice person.
Fun Fact
Most grammatical structures in Japanese that use 言(い)う will often appear without kanji. This is simply to make them easier to recognize as a grammar pattern, rather than a standard word in a sentence. This is also true for patterns that include 行(い)く, or 来(く)る.
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彼(かれ)とてもいい人(ひと)といってもいいです
You might say that he is a very good person.
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あの子(こ)魚(さかな)のように泳(およ)げるといってもいいです
You might say that that kid can swim like a fish.
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彼(かれ)全然(ぜんぜん)日本語(にほんご)出来(でき)ないといってもいい
You could say that he can't speak a word of Japanese.
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